X
Xindaris
Guest
Original poster
I'm just curious whether anybody else has ideas like this, or would enjoy doing it, so I'm laying it out there for some discussion.
What is "metaRPing", you ask? Well, it's a word I made up, so it's understandable if you don't know. I am referring mostly to changing the way characters are created or handled in OOC--such changes don't directly affect the story, but they do change fundamentally how it's set up and perhaps the way it's narrated.
Perhaps some examples will help. I once tried to make an RP where nobody created their own character, but instead just gave a few general things they would like to have in a character, and then someone else made their character for them. This way, each person would have to play a character created by someone else, and would have to create a character for someone else under certain limitations. It's primarily a writing challenge, to force people at least slightly out of their character boxes. The parameters are for the sake of making the character just comfortable enough to be played by the person. Anyway, that's an example of changing the way characters are made.
For an example of changing the way characters are handled, I give you the orbital system. I came up with this system because I noticed that RPs in general, and the system where each person makes somewhere between 1-5 characters (usually), and everyone is expected to RP together or join a group and work together, are extremely DnD and/or RPG oriented--that is, you can often expect an RP to be a quest taken on by a group of people willingly or unwillingly brought together; or sometimes, two groups but you get the point. The system I came up with instead has each player come up with a central character, and then have "orbital" characters who are strongly to vaguely related to the central character through friendship, proximity, antagonism, etc. Ideally, each player would be able to create an infinite number of characters. Everyone is allowed to play by themselves, narrating among their own characters, yet expected to realistically interact with the characters of others. The whole idea is to create a community of characters that behaves somewhat naturally, and it relies on the players to be good at writing conversations and events involving more than one of their own characters, a skill that a solo writer desperately needs. If executed well, the 'orbitals' system would work for a community setting, such as a college or city, as opposed to an 'adventure' setting.
Okay, that got kind of long-winded. In any case, the general goal of metaRPing is to do something new and interesting for challenge and for fun, and to enhance or focus the writing-skill development that RPing entails.
...So, thoughts?
What is "metaRPing", you ask? Well, it's a word I made up, so it's understandable if you don't know. I am referring mostly to changing the way characters are created or handled in OOC--such changes don't directly affect the story, but they do change fundamentally how it's set up and perhaps the way it's narrated.
Perhaps some examples will help. I once tried to make an RP where nobody created their own character, but instead just gave a few general things they would like to have in a character, and then someone else made their character for them. This way, each person would have to play a character created by someone else, and would have to create a character for someone else under certain limitations. It's primarily a writing challenge, to force people at least slightly out of their character boxes. The parameters are for the sake of making the character just comfortable enough to be played by the person. Anyway, that's an example of changing the way characters are made.
For an example of changing the way characters are handled, I give you the orbital system. I came up with this system because I noticed that RPs in general, and the system where each person makes somewhere between 1-5 characters (usually), and everyone is expected to RP together or join a group and work together, are extremely DnD and/or RPG oriented--that is, you can often expect an RP to be a quest taken on by a group of people willingly or unwillingly brought together; or sometimes, two groups but you get the point. The system I came up with instead has each player come up with a central character, and then have "orbital" characters who are strongly to vaguely related to the central character through friendship, proximity, antagonism, etc. Ideally, each player would be able to create an infinite number of characters. Everyone is allowed to play by themselves, narrating among their own characters, yet expected to realistically interact with the characters of others. The whole idea is to create a community of characters that behaves somewhat naturally, and it relies on the players to be good at writing conversations and events involving more than one of their own characters, a skill that a solo writer desperately needs. If executed well, the 'orbitals' system would work for a community setting, such as a college or city, as opposed to an 'adventure' setting.
Okay, that got kind of long-winded. In any case, the general goal of metaRPing is to do something new and interesting for challenge and for fun, and to enhance or focus the writing-skill development that RPing entails.
...So, thoughts?